Will my cat give me bird flu? That's a question being asked across Europe as cats in Germany and Austria test positive for H5N1 bird flu.
It was also asked in Asia in 2004 when tigers and leopards in the Bangkok Zoo died from H5N1, giving the first inkling that the virus could infect other mammals.
Animal experts say the answer to the question of household pets passing it on is a resounding no. Domestic cats, kept indoors, vaccinated against common diseases and regularly checked by a vet, are unlikely to transmit any diseases to humans, let alone avian flu.
Household pets - when well cared for - are more likely to protect their owners' health. Recent studies have shown that people who own pets are less likely to suffer from heart disease, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and depression than people who don't.
The cats in Europe were wild. The ones in Austria were in animal shelters, and the one in Germany was found dead in an area where wild swans had died from bird flu. In Austria, the cats had come from an area where birds were heavily infected with H5N1, and the authorities think the cats had probably eaten dead or dying infected birds.
Once again, it comes down to direct contact with birds, particularly the flesh of infected birds. In other words, you have to eat or handle an infected animal to catch H5N1.
With cats, however, we won't see inspectors from the Agriculture and Fisheries Department rounding up our pets, the way backyard chicken and duck owners have suffered in recent weeks.